Boat detaching apparatus



- June 14, 1938. H. E. ROTTMER BOAT DETACHING APPARATUS Filed May 5, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 9 k Jlpnz q E. Roflmer,

June 14, 1938. H. E. ROTTMER BOAT DETACHING APPARATUS Filed May 5, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jienzyl'fiol'l'mer,

' Patented .l ine 14, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT: OFFICE 10 Claims.

My invention is an improvement upon the boat detaching apparatus disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States granted to me No. 515,021, Feb. 20, 1894, and No. 998,263, July 18, 1911, and consists in the features and combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings I Fig. 1 is a diagram of a portion of one end of a life boat with my improved apparatus in connection therewith.

Fig. 2 is a side view in which the usual stem or sternpost is so modified as to make it serve as the supporting member of the detaching device which supports acombined latch and hook, with which latter a ring or hook at the lower end of the face engages, together with a rotary clutch which engages the latch and other features associated with said latch hook and clutch. I

Fig. 2a shows a modification of the stem or sternpost. 1

Fig. 2b is a detail view.

Fig. 3 is a front or edge view of Fig. 2 looking from the left.

Fig. 4 is a topplan view of Fig. 2a.

Fig. 5 is'a top plan view of the clutch member with the end of the hook therein and shown in section.

Fig. 6 is a plan view partly in section on the line 6-6 of-Fi'g. 2.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of a section on line l-'l of Fig. 2.

Fig. 8 is a detail view of a hand lever associating with the operating shaft for actuating it.

Fig. 9 is a plan view of a section through the structure including the post at the end of the boat with frame parts of the attachment in place.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the latch and hook, the clutch, a stop-gap member, and part of the shafting for operating the clutch.

Fig. 11 is a view of a boat suspended by tackle from davits with aid of the appliance constituting part of the present invention. I

Fig. 12 is a detail view of the hook at the end of the rock shaft for connecting with the tackle at each side of the boat.

Fig. 13 is a view of a modification of the hook and its associated parts. I Fig. 14 is a plan view of Fig. 13.

In these drawings I indicates'the bow post, and 2 a supplemental bow post. At 3 is shown a hook pivotally mounted at 4- in cheek plates 5, riveted to the supplemental end post 2. This hook is adapted to receive a ring shaped member 6 at the lower end of the tackle or fall 6a. It will be understood that while the invention is specially designed and hereinafter described to work with said ring shaped member, the appliance will receive a hook at the lower end of the fall or. tackle if such hook is a part of the tackle which happens to be available. The hook 3 of the appliance has a downwardly extending tail portion 3a, bent at 3b and terminating in a pin 30 extending vertically downward, and when in normal position engaged by a rotary clutch member I fixed to the upper end of a shaft section B which extends vertically downward and has a universal joint connection 9 with an inclined shaft section 8a whichin turn has a universal joint connection 9a with a horizontally extending shaft portion 81) which extends to the other end of the boat where it connects through inclined and vertical shaft sections witha rotary clutch similar to the clutch 1 above referred to controlling alatch and hook arrangement similar to that above described. I

. In other words, the parts described .above i. e. the combined hook and latch, and the clutch 1 are duplicated at the end offthe boat opposite to the end shown. in Fig. 1. By rotating the shaft I which is rendered flexible by the universal joints,

including a joint at 917, the clutches 'l at the opposite ends of the boat will be turned so that the pins 30 of the latches will be released, and under the pull of the tackle the hooks 3 will swing up about their pivots or journalsto release the boat from the tackle at about the moment, ac-

cording to the will of the operator, when the boat has been safely launched. The flexible rock shaft is operable by a hand lever ll near the center of the boat, or it may be operated from v a position at or near the end of the boat by operating a hand lever I la connected to the vertical shaft section, as shown in Fig. 8. This latter handle normally hangs down and is held by any suitable catch 12. It is pivoted at I3 to a bracket fixed on the shaft section. I

The clutch as in my patents consists of a hollow rotary member having an open side or gate la. for the passage into and out of the clutch of the pin 30 forming the lower extremity of the latch 3. When the clutch is in normal position, its intact upstanding wall lb, by engaging the latch terminal, will hold the said latch in its vertical position, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 2a, and hence the hook 3 will be in the position illustrated in these figures, so that the member, i. e, the ring 6 through which the depending part of the hook extends, will support the boat, but if the clutch is rotated so that its gateway v comes on the inner side of the pin 30, the pull of the tackle on the'hook 3 will turn the hook inwardly of the boat and upwardly, and the ring of the tackle will slip out of engagement with the hook, and thus, as this action takes place at both ends of the boat, release of said boat from the tackle will take place.

It will be observed that by using a hook the opening 3:: within, which faces downwardly and is vertically in line with the vertical axis of the terminal pin 30 of the latch or tail portion of the hook, and therefore in line with the vertical axis of the clutch and shaft, the cross-pull shear on the suppqrting element is reduced to a minimum.

Further, the lateral strain component of the hooks, tail or latch portion on the clutch member is-low in degree, thus contributing to the durability and resistance to rupture and to the ease of operation of the appliance in hazardous circumstances attending the launching of the life boat during storm conditions.

The construction of the hook with its tail piece extending substantially vertically or in such relation to the stem or sternpost, as the case may be, also enables me to pivot the hook directly to said stem or sternpost by the use of the side cheek plates instead of upon a substantial or heavy bracket interposed between the hooks pivot and the post, thus reducing weight cost and gaining passenger capacity without overloading. The construction enables me to get a metal to metal contact between the edges of the stem and sternpost and the edge of the tail or latch portion 3a of the hook, and a. close positioning of the rotary clutch and its shaft to the post, thus avoiding the use of long heavy brackets to support said shaft and clutch, greatly reducing thereby the moment of inertia between the line of pull on the hook and its support.

The use of a closed ring as the terminal connecting member of the fall or. tackle is important as contrasted with the use of a hook or shackle, when, as in my present improvement, a stopgap catch I3 is employed to retain the ring within the hook despite the tendency of this terminal connection to disconnect with the hook 3 by reason of the boat riding upwardly on the waves and easing up on the tackle to such anextent that the terminal connection of the tackle, be it hook, shackle, or ring, would drop out of said hook 3 were no means provided to prevent this. In my improvement, however, by using the stop-gap member or finger I3, the terminal member of the tackle is prevented from dropping out of the hook 3 of my appliance. This stop-gap member is pivoted at IS in a recess in the tail portion or latch member 3a of the appliance, which recess is defined by the dotted lines I6, IS, in Figs. 2 and 2a, the recess itself being indicated at IT in Fig. 10. The stop-gap catch when in position to close the entrance to the space 3:: within the hook 3 occupies the position shown in Figs. 1, 2, 2a and 10. It is stopped in this position by its tail piece l3a having a flat or straight edge resting against the edge of the stem, sternpost, or other supporting member 2 when the hook is held by the wall of the clutch member engaging the pin 30 of the latch portion 3a of the hook. It

its free to tip up, but is stopped against tipping downwardly.

Therefore, it will y eld upwardly to allow the ring to enter thehook, but it will stop the ring from leaving the hook so long as the hook with its tail portion or latch is held in operative position by the rotary clutch 1. Thus the boat will remain attached to the fall despite its rising with the waves and slackening of the fall.

When the boat is to be detachedfrom the fall the flexible rock shaft is operated and the rotary clutches 1 at the opposite ends thereof are turned to present their gateways simultaneously to their respective latches, and thus both hooks will be free to turn upwardly at the same moment.

The moment the latch arm 3a moves away from the stem and sternpost 2, the stop-gap member 3 will be free to move and follow instantly, and will reach .a position where the space within the hook will be cleared for the,

discharge therefrom of the ring on the lower end of the tackle.

This movement of the stop-gap latch or member will be permitted because the base l3a of the catch no longer will be set and held in operative position by contact with said post. When the catch or stop-gap member is in position to clear the recess within the hook, its free end will be seated within the lower part of the recess I6 of the latch or tail piece of the hook, and in this position of the catch the lower end of the hook will be fully open for the outward passage of the ring.

When the ring on the lower block is being introduced into the hook to thereby attach the boat to the fall, the catch or stop-gap member [3 will always be free to recede into the upper part of the recess Hi to allow the ring to pass by.

When the hook 3 is being restored to normal position the base or arm l3a of the catch 13 by coming against the edge of the post 2 will set and hold the catch in position to prevent the release of the ring of the fall so long as the hook remains in, its normal position by reason of the clutch 1 holding said hook in this position.

While the invention is designed to cooperate with a ring on the fall, it will be understood that it will also operate with a hook or shackle as the terminal member of the fall.

The trunnions or journals of the hook 3 may be elongated as shown at 3d. At their outer ends said journals are adapted to turn in bearings l8 secured to opposite sides of the boat as shown in Fig, 11. Hooks 3e are fixed to the outer ends of said journals.

These hooks are adapted to receive rings, hooks, shackles, or loops forming the terminal lower ends of downwardly and outwardly inclined portions 60 of the fall or tackle, converging to a tackle block 611 which is connected with the davit and directs the tackle rope which is rove from both ends and terminates in a loop leading to a winding drum 19, on the vessel. The hooks 3e move with the main hook 3 and thus when the release of the portion 6a Fig; 11 of the tackle takes place by reason of the main hook 3 turning upwardly from its position of Figs. 1, 2, 11, the trunnion, on which said hook 3 is fixed, will turn and thus turn the hooks 36 at the outer ends of these trunnions, so that the entire tackle will be released. One purpose of the inclined portions 60 of the fall is to prevent the boat from unduly and dangerously tipping sideways by a rush of passengers to embark in panic cases, thereby causing the loss of their lives. The one clutch l at each end of the boat acts through the main latch 3a to hold the trunnion in position with the end hooks 3e depending therefrom.

Reverting to the detail construction and arrangement of the hook and other parts of Fig. 2, it will be noticed that the pivotal point of the hook and latch member at 4 is offset laterally in respect to said parts so that the outer edge of the latch can lie close to the edge of the post 2, and in addition bring the load line in line with the operating shaft line, so that these two lines may be as close to one another as possible, reducing undue strain thereby.

Also the point where the load is imposed on the hook 3 is at a comparatively short distance from the pivot of the hook while latch arm 3a extends vertically downward for a considerable .being comparatively short, whereas the arm upon which the restraining infiuenceof the clutch is imposed is comparatively long. These forces,

1. e., the pull of the tackle, being upward on the short arm of the lever, and the resistance-by the clutch being imposed in a horizontal direction, are substantially at right angles to each other.

When the hook is in normal position for supporting the boat from the fall, the catch or stopgap member 83 will have automatically assumed a position to prevent the escape of the ring from connection with the hook. To put this proposition in another way, when the clutch l is holding the hook organization in position with the boat attached to the fall, the stop-gap catch will be held rigidly in position across the mouth of said organization to prevent downward escape of the lower block ring, because the flat face of the base of said stop-gap catch will be bearing on the edge of the post, but as soon as the clutch releases the hook and this swings away from the post 2, the

catch i3 will be free to move downward and free the hook for the tackle member to disconnect from the hook, because the catch l3 will be free to move down into the lower part of the recess Hi.

When the hook organization is being held by the clutch, the lower block ring can move up into the recess within the hook because the catch is free to move upwardly at all times into the upper part of the recess I6 in the latch member 3a, despite the fact that the hook organization is resting against the post 2, together with the base of catch it. V

In the use of the tackle, the two laterally extending portions thereof may be brought together at the transverse center line of the boat, and attached to the central hook. This adjustment may be employed when raising the boat, whereas, if the boat is to receive passengers and then be launched, the sides of the tackle may be connected with the hooks at the ends of the rock I *ber of the hook is bifurcated, or, in other words,

it has two side portions depending from the hub or pivotal portion of the hook, these two side portions being arranged to embrace the post 2x.

These side portions of the hook arrangement are indicated at 3y. They extend down at'an inclination from the hub of the hook, one at each side of the post 23:, and in close proximity thereto. The arrangement is such, however, that the action previously described of the stop-gap catch is substantially the same as that previously described. It is so positioned that its weighted end will bear on the edge of the post and be controlled thereby in a manner before described. The present modification enables the hook to be located closer to the supported post than in the forms previously described, and lateral strains imposed upon the hook will be taken by reason of the contact of the depending tail portion of the hook with the side faces of the post. I

This modified construction also brings in the point where the hook, or ring, or other member in the lower end of the tackle, will engage the pivoted hook at a point closer to the pivot about which said hook turns.

The pin 30 of the latch member preferably extends substantially vertically .to be engaged by which are secured thereto.

the rotary clutch I which rotates about a substantially vertical axis. The said pin 30 is offset inwardly of the boat away from the end post and its fittings, and for this purpose the tail portion 3a is bent, as already stated, at 3b. This construction allows the tail piece 3a to lie against or close to the edges of the cheek plates 5 attached to the end post 2, as in Figs. 2, 2a, or to v partly embrace the end post as in Fig. 13. The stop-gap member i3 is pivotally mounted on the tail piece or latch 3a of the hook at a point above the inwardly offset pin 30 and preferably at the top of the bend 3b of said latch where it conveniently can be made to. contact with the end post to be automatically set in position to close the mouth of the hook when the latter is in normal position for receiving the ring or hook on the fall. By the oifsetting of the pin 3c inwardly in relation to the boat space is provided for the location of the vertical shaft 8 and the rotary clutch close to the end post, and this end post can be simply a vertically extending straight member of rugged size and strength, no cutting away or reduction of this member being necessary in order to receive either the tail portion of the hook or the rotary clutch or vertical operating shaft. It will be seen from Fig. 3 that the trunnion 301 is integral with the body of the hook 3 and that these integral trunnions bear on the cheek plates 5. Also Figs. 3 and 11 indicate that the rock shafts extending transversely across the boat are made up of the trunnions and of extensions of said trunnions The hooks are pivotally connected directly to the upper ends of the posts 2 and the shafts 8 which operate the clutches l are supported in a bracket or brackets independently formed and secured to the post 2. This bracket or brackets, of which there is a pair asshown in Fig: 2 may be set at any desired points along the height of the post 2 to accommodate any particular proportions of the boat to which the apparatus is to be attached. This construction adds to the simplicity and adaptability of the apparatus.

It will be noticed that the tail portion l3a of the clutch member I3 is mainly housed in the recess of the tail portion 3a of the hook. This tail portion protrudes from the outside edge of the tail portion of the hook only enough to enable it to contact with the edge of the post for setting the catch across the open mouth of the hook. There is no exposure of this tail portion at or adjacent the mouth of the hook, or in other words at the inner edge or side of the depending tail portion of the hook, and thus the catch, so far as its main body and its tail portion l3a is concerned, is substantially shielded from contact of the tackle connection adjacent the mouth of the hook. This tail portion 13a is on the opposite side of the downwardly extending taii' portion 3a of the hook in relation to that portion of the catch which is intended to obstruct the mouth of the hook. In other words, the tail portion of the catch projects slightly from the member on the boat, said tail portion being .con-

nected to, spaced apart from, and providing between itself and said hook a downwardly open mouth, and a catch pivoted to the bricks tail portion moving bodily therewith and having a tail piece adapted to contact a relatively fixed element in the boat thereby setting said catch in position normally obstructing said mouth, said hook being recessed above and below the pivot of the catch whereby the catch is-iree to swing upwardly at all times to mouth clearing position, and to swing downwardly to mouth clearing position only when its tail piece is out of contact with said element in the boat.

2. A boat detaching appliance comprising a rock shaft adapted to extend transversely of the boat, a hook fixed to the rock shaft centrally thereof and adapted to be releasably engaged by a clutch on said boat, hooks fixed to the rock shaft near the ends thereof, each of said hooks being adapted to be engaged by fall connections, the turning of the rock shaft consequent upon release of the first mentioned hook by the clutch releasing all the fall connections substantially simultaneously.

3. A hook appliance for boat detaching apparatus comprising hook and tail portions spaced apart to receive a boat fall connection, a pivot bearing at the junction of said hook and tail portions, said tail portion being adapted to be releasably engaged by a clutch, and recessed to provide opposing side walls for receiving between them a post of the boat, substantially as described.

4. A boat detaching device comprising a tail portion and a hook member, said device having a pivot at its upper end, the tail portion connected with the hook member and spaced apart therefrom to provide a downwardly open fall receiving mouth, said tail portion being bent at its lowerpart in a direction transversely of the open mouth, but below the same, and a pin extending downwardly from the lower end of said bent portion to be engaged releasably by a holding device on the boat, substantially as described.

5. A hook for a boat detaching apparatus having a bifurcated upper end to embrace a post for direct pivotal connection therewith, said hook having a tail portion spaced apart therefrom, and a catch pivotally mounted on the tail portion and engageable with the edge of the post, substantially as described.

6. A hook appliance for boat detaching apparatus comprising a hook having a tail portion joined thereto at its upper part, spaced apart therefrom, thus providing a downwardly open mouth, a catch pivoted tosaid tail portion to be carried bodily thereby, said catch having an end portion extending normally across said mouth to obstruct the same, said tail portion of the hook having a free space above the pivot of the catch capacitated to receive said catch end for clearing the said mouth for the movement of the fall connection therelong, said catch having a tail piece setting said catch in its obstructing position by contacting a relatively fixed part in the boat, said hook being recessed below the catch whereby said catch may be turned down clearing the said mouth for the discharge of the fall connection, said hook having a pivot bearing at its upper end, substantially as described.

7. In a life boat detaching mechanism adapted for attachment to and detachment from a boat fall; ,comprising a bracket member adapted for attachment to said life boat, a hook appliance comprising a hook member and a tail part and pivoted at its upper endto said bracket, said tail part being spaced from said hook member to form a space to receive a member of said boat fall, said tail part also having a portion forming one member ofa clutch, a complementary clutch portion journalled on said bracket and adapted for operation by a conventional boat releasing means whereby said tail part of said appliance may be released to swing upwardly on said pivot, a catch member pivoted in said tail part adjacent said hook member, said tail part being recessed above and below the pivot of said catch whereby said catch may swing either up or down out of blocking position with respect to said hook member, said catch having a tail portionadapted to engage said bracket when said clutch members are in engagement to hold said catch in obstructing position as and for the purpose set forth.

8. In a life boat detaching mechanism adapted for attachment to and detachment from a boat fall; comprising'a bracket member adapted for attachment to said life boat, a hook appliance comprising a hook member and a tail portion and pivoted at its upper end to said bracket, said tail portion being spaced from said hook member to form a space to receive a member of said boat fall, said tail portion also having an offset portion substantially aligned with said space and forming one member of a clutch, a complementary clutch portion journaled on said bracket and adapted for operation by a conventional boat releasing means whereby said tail portion of said appliance may be released to swing upwardly on said pivot, a catch member pivoted in said tail portion adjacent said hook member, said tail portion being recessed above and below the pivot of said catch whereby said catch may swing either up or down out of blocking position with respect to said hook member, said catch having a tail portion adapted to engage said bracket when said clutch members are in engagement to hold said catch in obstructing position as and for the purpose set forth.

9. A hook appliance for life boat detaching apparatus comprising spaced apart hook and tail portions and a bifurcated bearing portion therefor at the junction of the hook and tail portions adapted for pivotally securing said appliance to a post member in the boat, said tail portion being recessed, said recess communicating with said bifurcation of the bearing portion whereby said tail portion may embrace a portion of said post member and side stresses due to boat support will be distributed as and for the purpose set forth.

10. A hook apliance for lift boat launching apparatus comprising a hook and tail portion spaced apart to receive a boat fall connection and a bifurcated bearing portion therefor at the junction of the hook and tail portions adapted for pivotally securing said appliance to a post member in the life boat, said tail portion being recessed, said recess and bifurcation merging and being 'in a plane. including the hook portion, the bifurcation of the bearing portion and the recess of the tail portion serving to co- 

